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 Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:52 pm
My three year old pony mare I rescued has been having some problems lately, and I was wondering if you guys ever had any of these issues.
She was severely thin when I got her, hardly knew what feed was,
and know when I feed her - which lately has been out of a salt block pan when she's out in the pasture - she digs into it with her front hoof - usually the same one - and spills it everywhere, everytime! If I'm next to her she won't do it, but even by the fence she will, could this been something in her hoof? There clean but maybe inside the hoof? When my other horse dug he had a extreme absess deep in his foot which a vet had to treat cause his feet are so hard, but I think she would have been laying down by now?
And just yesterday - maybe I never noticed cause of her extreme weight gain, though she's a normal weight now - I touched her neck in front of the withers where her mane starts, and it feels like a bones pretruding out about 6" long and half a inch out, when I put a small squease of pressure on it she shook her whole neck and her back leg on the same side she digs with jumps up to her belly, and kept repeating with each squease, I don't know if this is just a pressure point or what...
I dunno maybe I'm over reacting but I spent alot of time getting her healthy...
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:14 pm
The pawing is a fairly common behavior. I honestly have no idea where it comes from but I've known several horses who "beg" while eating by bringing leg up and not necessarily pawing but just holding that leg up and occasionally pawing at the air. My thoroughbred was particularly bad about it and would do it all the time, including in the cross ties. I didn't want it to turn into striking, so I broke him of that habit, but couldn't stop it while he was eating. I wouldn't worry about it unless she starts showing major signs of pain there. She might just prefer to eat it off the ground, or think it's fun to spill it. At three, this is certainly a motivation for a lot of them!
As for the thing on her neck... I have no idea. Is there any visual evidence of this... thing? There is not a bone along the top of the crest, the spine dips down at the withers and travels up the center of the neck. There is, however, some very strong muscling along the top of the crest. How close are you to the withers when you squeeze? There might be a chance that it's a chiropractic problem... Again, I would watch her to see if she displays any other outward signs of pain. I don't think that that in itself is cause for alarm, but it's something to keep an eye on.
I will commend you for taking good care of a rescue, though. smile It's good that you're paying such close attention to her and noticing small things like that. She's lucky to have an observant owner who is concerned about her health.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:44 pm
That's what I was thinking, I think she was fed on the ground since she was in a pasture full of 80+ horses, maybe she's used to it, she won't do it if she has a gate bucket, but she slams the bucket up and down the gate if you don't watch her, you think there could be any like toys or such that could keep her attention or maybe distract her from digging so much?
The thing on her neck is odd, and I've never seen anything like it, her mane grows over that side so it was just by chance I noticed it anyway, if you look down the neck from the withers you can see it - it looks like a swollen area - and it must be the muscle, (btw just meant it felt like a bone not was one, xD feel dumb for saying bone now) anywho, I've seen horses, like small pony's that are over weight, who have a problem with the area building fat and drooping over, but this feels very hard.
And it's about...a hand away from the wither, she just acts like it hurts her when I touch it, and it might sound dumb but I was thinking maybe a kink in the neck like we get?
She rode oddly when I rode her the one time I did, turning her neck she would toss her head as hard as she could twords the side you pulled at as if afraid I would jerk on it causing pain, so maybe she needs a alignment in her neck?
I was told a 13yr old girl rode her that weighed much too much for this small pony ( 200+ when the pony only weighed 380 - 400 something.. ) and maybe she jerked on her, could that have caused it? Her being so small when I got her, she was still wearing a yearling halter at age three, could it have been a issue with growth? As I said, she shakes her head and neck hard and that same leg keeps raising up, so I'm very unsure, it's very odd behavour for her. I've never had these issues with any of my horses? xD
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:10 pm
It might not hurt to have a chiropractor out to take a look at her. If she's had a rough time of it before you got it (it sounds like she has) she's probably out somewhere anyway. They might have an idea what the strange lump on her neck is, even if it isn't a bone... (you didn't sound dumb, by the way, I knew what you meant. biggrin )
How young was she backed? I personally don't like to get on horses until they're at least 3... but I realize that she was a rescue so you don't have any control over it. If she was backed too early before her back was ready to support the weight, and especially if by a heavy person, there could very well be lingering damage and I would definitely get a chiro out to look at her. If you don't regularly use a chiropractor, make sure to shop around and find someone who has a good reputation and has reliable credentials. A lot of areas have no licensing requirements for "alternative" health practitioners and some of the people that decide to call themselves chiropractors... eek it's scary. I consider chiropractic to be a very important part of a horse's health regimen, but you've got to be careful who takes care of your horses.
You probably know that, but I tend to post a lot of extraneous information for the benefit of lurkers xd
You mean like the cushings neck? A lot of horses and especially ponies get really cresty when they have cushings and it can be pretty hard... is that what it feels like?
As for toys... have you tried a jolly ball? I've known some young horses that LOVE them. I knew a little 2-year old stud colt that would go CRAZY with his for hours. I've known a few babies who would also play with the rubber feed tubs that go on the ground.
I'll try to brainstorm some home-made toy solutions, I know I have some, I just can't remember them right now.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 6:36 pm
The little I know about her she had a very rough time, she was in a pasture of horses that wouldn't let her eat grain or grass for who knows how long, she was the only one not registered so they didn't care what happened to her, the people I bought her from got her at auction and just felt sorry for her so bought and sold her to me for the grand total of 69.00...
I believe she was backed about a yearling age, I got her at two and a half and she just turned three so it had to have been that age or abouts. And her only being around 12 hands when I first saw her and 14 hands now she couldn't have been very big...
I know of one that I was going to use once when my Walker popped a hip out of joint but it relocated before he came out. His old owner uses him often since Walking horses have a habit of hip problems. I've heard he's great, so I can find his number.
Yup, I guess it's from being over weight for some ponies, but I see some that just look awful, it's rubbery yet hard like that. If it is that, what could I do.
I have one but she just kicked it once then never touched it again, and my other horses are scared of it... xD The feed tubs she kicks around some, but it makes me feel like she's not getting enough mental stimulation, you know? xP I used to keep it tied up and they liked it more. I was going to teach her tricks when she was up to par but she needs something when I'm not there.
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Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:26 pm
just an idea about the mental stimulation thing, some people have those...i forget what they're called, but they're hanging toys and things the horses can lick. sorry if that makes NO sense haha.
but i have seen destructive, bored horses really entertained by these, so thats just an idea wink
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Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:00 am
Pianoangel1 just an idea about the mental stimulation thing, some people have those...i forget what they're called, but they're hanging toys and things the horses can lick. sorry if that makes NO sense haha. but i have seen destructive, bored horses really entertained by these, so thats just an idea wink Lick-its smile I've also seen people hang empty milk jugs in stalls for horses to play with. Some love it, some don't. As for the cresty thing, I don't think there's a lot that you can do. In overweight ponies sometimes if they lose weight it helps, but it doesn't sound like that's her problem. They're also not usually tender, which you think this is. After you get her checked by a chiro if they don't know or can't help, you could have your vet draw blood and see if there's anything abnormal... I wish I could be more helpful sad
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Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 3:00 pm
AriaStarSong Pianoangel1 just an idea about the mental stimulation thing, some people have those...i forget what they're called, but they're hanging toys and things the horses can lick. sorry if that makes NO sense haha. but i have seen destructive, bored horses really entertained by these, so thats just an idea wink Lick-its smile I've also seen people hang empty milk jugs in stalls for horses to play with. Some love it, some don't. As for the cresty thing, I don't think there's a lot that you can do. In overweight ponies sometimes if they lose weight it helps, but it doesn't sound like that's her problem. They're also not usually tender, which you think this is. After you get her checked by a chiro if they don't know or can't help, you could have your vet draw blood and see if there's anything abnormal... I wish I could be more helpful sad oh yeah! haha thanks. wow lick-its. why couldn't i remember that? thats pretty dern special. haha. we had a pony named piper that had the crest thing, it was like...the only way i can describe it is it was like a large fat deposit...was what it looked like wink . but it wasn't tender. in fact, you could push it and put pressure on it like it was just a regular horse neck, and she never flinched or did anything like that. in fact she barely noticed you were touching it.
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Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:53 pm
Yeah, that's the way they normally are and I think that's all it is with cushings, fat-pony-syndrome, and some founder cases (I've known at least one horse that had this...) is just fatty tissue. The ponies I've known with cushings don't mind one bit when I play with it.
If it seems to be bothering her, I'd definitely consider having a vet look at it and possibly draw some blood and do some tests. It's possible that it could be some sort of growth...
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Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2009 5:58 pm
Pianoangel1 - Lick-Its! xD I can't believe I forgot about those, my Walker used to play with them and loves them, though he went through them so fast I couldn't keep up! I saw they make the mini-salt/mineral blocks in carrot and peppermint as a alternitive, that might work, thanks for the idea. ^ ^
Aria - Milk jugs..awsome idea, since their not in the stall but still don't have much to do in their mini - paddocks I could hand it from the low branch of a tree and try it out.
And thanks you guys have helped plenty, I'm going riding Sunday hopefully even if it is too cold, (I need to kick my own butt, I haven't gone riding on the trail since LAST October!) and getting the number to my chiro from the lady, and were taking two of our horses to the vet Monday and I can ask her about it. ^ ^
Still thanks for you advice!
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Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 3:28 pm
AriaStarSong The pawing is a fairly common behavior. I honestly have no idea where it comes from but I've known several horses who "beg" while eating by bringing leg up and not necessarily pawing but just holding that leg up and occasionally pawing at the air. My thoroughbred was particularly bad about it and would do it all the time, including in the cross ties. I didn't want it to turn into striking, so I broke him of that habit, but couldn't stop it while he was eating. The pawing is something we train them to do, inadvertently. They get impatient/excited to be fed and start pawing the bucket and then we come and give them food thereby "rewarding" the behaviour. Then they start to think that pawing is what makes us feed them so they do it more and more often. Standing with one leg raised is a variation of pawing. This rarely turns into striking because when you strike you don't get fed you get smacked.
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Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:18 pm
Maze353 AriaStarSong The pawing is a fairly common behavior. I honestly have no idea where it comes from but I've known several horses who "beg" while eating by bringing leg up and not necessarily pawing but just holding that leg up and occasionally pawing at the air. My thoroughbred was particularly bad about it and would do it all the time, including in the cross ties. I didn't want it to turn into striking, so I broke him of that habit, but couldn't stop it while he was eating. The pawing is something we train them to do, inadvertently. They get impatient/excited to be fed and start pawing the bucket and then we come and give them food thereby "rewarding" the behaviour. Then they start to think that pawing is what makes us feed them so they do it more and more often. Standing with one leg raised is a variation of pawing. This rarely turns into striking because when you strike you don't get fed you get smacked. Pawing is a similar motion to striking, and it may not have turned into malicious striking, but I didn't want him to start pawing enthusiastically when one of the kids was walking by. Either way, it wasn't a habit I wanted to encourage, and it wasn't a hard habit to break.
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Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 9:10 pm
the pawing while she eats can be normal. however i hope shes not spilling it onto dirt and eating?
one question on the neck does she crib?suck air, chew on wood? if so this may be the cause. Personally id have the vet out to look at it
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